What's a shop hop

One of the comments was asking what a shop hop is. Here is Texas, the Bluebonnet shop hop had 12 stores on it. They each gave you a FQ, a piece of the shop hop quilt pattern, stamped your passport (a piece of paper) and a chance to enter into a drawing for prizes. Then, you have to visit the 12 stores, I take photos of how they interpreted the shop hop pattern, and of course buy things. I bought more this year because it was from my birthday money. The timing was perfect.
For me, it is a chance to get away with quilting buddies and roam around to shops I wouldn't go to. Someof the shops are 80 miles away. The whole experience was fun.

Shop Hop -- best birthday in a long time

Wanda pointing at the skull on top of the water fountain -- their theme was pirates.

Well, I went on the shop hop and look what I got! I had fun. I did something I almost never do -- buy kits. The items on the left are the free fqs and the instructions for the shop hop quilt.

The next column is the book that I got with the $20 coupon I got for buying things at the Quilt Haus. (Kim, I got your black and white jelly roll. I think it is the same as what I gave you for Christmas - not pictured here). There were some free patterns and some charm packets. At the top of that column is a pincushion and some brushes. Also are some needles and a long handles tweezers. The third column is the pink and green kit that I will be making for a gift. Then below that is the pink and browns that I'll use in DD's horse quilt. The 4th column is the shop hop quilt packet that was the fish, and some note cards.

These are the shop hop quilts. How different can they be????

At the end of the day, we had a little fender bender while backing out of a parking space. No one was hurt.

Picked up an Ashton cigar for DH and came home to a DD sleeping in our bed. Hummm.....

Oh, I finished sewing on the binding on the love quilt. Wish I had the label done to be completely done. Next week.

Birthday stuff

I've had a wonderful birthday and it isn't even here yet. LOL
DH had a dozen orange roses and a card with $200 in it for the shop hop starting tomorrow.

I joined a fq swap and look at the coral fabrics I got from the two groups. Aren't they yummy?

My hoop it all came, but I've not had time to play. Probably won't until next week.

I get to go on a shop hop. DH can't pick DD up, so my parents are going to help me out and come over. DS is ill, so he can't help.

Birthday Gifts

Miss Kim sent these to me. THANK YOU! She told me to open them when I got them (now, she will deny that, but don't listen to her. LOL) because I wasn't going to be home on Thursday. So, they are there and happily sitting on my shelf. Aren't they cute?She also sent this cute cupcake pincushion, EQ 6 simplified and a pattern for the numerous baby quilts I seem to be making. Isn't the red fabric so pretty????

THANK YOU!!! You're the best!!

Status status

Well, as Judy reminds us, it is 8.5 months to go in the year. I've not done as well as I wanted, but I'm still trying.

Fabric Added This Week -0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date - 5.68
Fabric Used This Week - 0 yards
Fabric Used Year to Date - 31.85 yards
Fabric Used this Month 0 yards
Net year to date: - 26.17 yards used

Nothing went out, nothing came in. LOL Now, the problem is going to be this coming week. I have birthday money coming in, and the shop hop starts ON my birthday, so....who knows what will happen. I am going with 4 friends to the shop hop and hope to find something spectacular -- maybe it will just be tools and gadgets, thread???

Something to think about: SAFETY. For one of the few times I am in my sewing area with sandals on, yesterday I was winding a bobbin for the long arm and dropped pointed scissors on my left big toe. Of course, the pointy side into the toe. Ouch!!! It started to bleed and the sandal kept the blood off my off-white carpet. But, you might want to remember to be careful in the sewing area without closed toed shoes on.

I am still working on the swap blocks. Hoping to finish one set tonight. If I don't get the others done first thing in the morning, the one set will be mailed to get to the hostess quickly. The way life has been this year, not sure if I'd get to them if they are not done first thing.

Oh, I did find the perfect backing fabric in my stash for the tulip quilt. So, I'll be working on getting the backing made and the quilt loaded and quilted. I think it is going to be quilted with lots of background quilting and leave most of the tulip unquilted -- I think it will make the flowers pop.

Strange week

This week was preparing to go camping with DD's Brownie troop. I was in charge of too many things. I didn't even get to turn on the sewing machine until today.

DD was also home running a fever Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday. So, on Thursday evening we find out that she had strep. Got medications in her on Friday, but it didn't kick in until late today. Sooooo, no camping. I have to admit that DD was not as upset today as I thought she would be. Of course, coughing enough to throw up might have had something to do with it.

So, today I working on a love quilt. I got it quilted. I have the binding ready to sew on. I'll post another photo when it is finished.

I've been working on these swap blocks, I have 2 done and need a total of 10. I MUST get these done this weekend.




Remember the tulip quilt? I didn't know who it would end up going to. I received a call from very dear friends. They told me that Betty is going through some uterine wall cancer treatment. So, I think this is the quilt to go to her. My plan is to work on the backing and get it quilted.

It feels good to be quilting and I hope my DD gets to feeling Lots better tomorrow.

Update from quilting day

This is Glenda's finished project. You saw it earlier in the month being laid out. How very pretty. At least someone is quilting.